By John Ikani
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote has advocated for the inclusion of women in the administration of various trust funds contained in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
Engr. Wabote made the advocacy on Tuesday while delivering his keynote address at the Nigerian Women In Oil and Gas Conference 2022 organised by the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF) Diversity Sectoral Working Group (DSWG) at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotel, Lagos State.
The NCDMB boss said the theme of this year’s conference – Leveraging Opportunities For Women In Oil And Gas Industry – was very appropriate, as it is coming at time the nation is repositioning the industry for greater in-country value addition, efficiency, transparency and investments.
According to him: “Female population represent a significant portion of mankind. It is imperative that we create creative and inclusive environmental for them to thrive and make maximum advantage of such inclusion.”
The local content chieftain went on to note that: “It is a fact that the female population comprise half of the population of humans. This trend is not different from what’s obtainable in Nigeria as females make up 49.3% of the Nigerian population.
“This fact underscores the need for women to take centre stage in many areas of professional and societal activities. No country can truly develop if half of its population is left behind.
“There is a global recognition of the unique roles women play in societies covering governance, advocacies, investment, capacity and many more. The roles are vital in the oil and gas industry.
“NCDMB has seen the need to leverage on these qualities to attract, involve, engage and empower women in the oil and gas industry by according them key position in top management and other decision making platforms.”
The Executive Secretary therefore urged the Nigerian Ministry of Petroleum Resources to tread the same path by leveraging the governing qualities of women in the administration of PIA trust funds.
“With the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 in place, one of the opportunity areas that should be leveraged on with regards governance should be the inclusion of women in the administration of various trust funds contained in the PIA 2021.
“The act provides for the establishment of Host Community Development Trust Fund and Host Community Development Trust Fund For Communities. PIA 2021 also provides financial contribution to an Environmental Remediation Fund for the rehabilitation or management of negative environmental impacts of petroleum operations.
“If women can be heads of the IMF, WTO e.t.c why can’t they be part of managing the trust funds that would be established by the PIA?
“All these opportunities require the active involvement of our women to ensure its success as efforts aimed at repositioning women as formidable players in key areas including the oil and gas industry is already yielding results,” he said.
Present at the conference were the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, Chairman of The Board of Directors of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Senator Chuba Okadigbo, Chairperson of the NCCF Diversity SWG, Alero Onosode among others.
